Transcript ADVOCACY COMMUNICATIONS AAP ADVOCACY TRAINING ADVOCACY COMMUNICATIONS ADVOCACY COMMUNICATIONS MEDIA ADVOCACY AND COMMUNICATION DEFINED • Intentional use of any type of media or communication mechanism to bring.

ADVOCACY COMMUNICATIONS
AAP ADVOCACY TRAINING
ADVOCACY
COMMUNICATIONS
ADVOCACY COMMUNICATIONS
MEDIA ADVOCACY AND
COMMUNICATION DEFINED
• Intentional use of any type of media or communication mechanism to
bring about awareness and change on behalf of your issue.
• Media advocacy: Using media (newspapers, magazines, television,
radio, and internet) to reach broader audience to build awareness on
behalf of an issue and gain more attention from decision-makers.
• Communications advocacy: Any material and mechanism (other than
the media) used to create awareness around an issue, get others
involved, or influence decision-makers. Examples include making a
guest presentation to a group or hosting an information table at a public
event.
ADVOCACY COMMUNICATIONS
WHY MEDIA ADVOCACY
AND COMMUNICATIONS
• Persuades decision-makers to act because they believe public is paying
attention.
• Increases likelihood that more people will get involved because they are
aware of issue and how they can help change circumstances affecting
the children they know and care about.
• Establishes credibility on behalf of your issue by demonstrating how it
affects many people and deserves the public’s attention.
ADVOCACY COMMUNICATIONS
MEDIA ADVOCACY AND
COMMUNICATIONS POINTERS
Two important things to keep in mind when using media and
communications to advance your issue:
•your message
•how you deliver your message
ADVOCACY COMMUNICATIONS
YOUR MESSAGE
• Your message is the core statement of why your issue is important and
should be the underpinning of all your media and communications work.
EFFECTIVE MESSAGES:
• Create consistency and cut across the many stories that relate to your
issue.
• Are easily understood and can be internalized and repeated by others.
• Convince people that your issue is something they can support.
ADVOCACY COMMUNICATIONS
CRAFTING YOUR MESSAGE
• Essentially, your message is what follows because…. Consider the
following example of a message:
“Medicaid and CHIP are indispensable health programs because they
provide health insurance coverage to over 25 million low-income
children who otherwise wouldn’t have access to critical and much
needed health care services.”
• This message makes the case about the importance of Medicaid and
CHIP funding. Your personal experiences and stories of working with
children who are uninsured can then help support this message.
ADVOCACY COMMUNICATIONS
CREATING AN EFFECTIVE MESSAGE
Consider the following points as a guide to creating an effective message:
• clear
• concise
• memorable and relatable
• persuasive
• repeat, repeat, repeat
ADVOCACY COMMUNICATIONS
HOW TO DELIVER YOUR MESSAGE
• Combine your message with personal stories to illustrate the importance
of and to put a human face on an issue.
• Connect your message to what is happening locally.
• Highlight solutions and inform others of how they can help bring about a
solution.
ADVOCACY COMMUNICATIONS
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
& INFORMATION
• AAP Advocacy Guide (www.aap.org/moc/advocacyguide)
• AAP Member Media Center (www.aap.org/moc/pressroom/pressroom.htm)
• AAP Chapters (www.aap.org/member/chapters/chapters.htm)
• AAP Division of State Government Affairs (www.aap.org/moc/stgovaffairs)
• AAP Department of Federal Affairs (http://federaladvocacy.aap.org )
• AAP Community Pediatrics Training Initiative (www.aap.org/commpeds/CPTI)